Ottawa Redblacks 2016 Draft recap

The Ottawa Redblacks took part in their fourth CFL draft on Tuesday (third as an active team), adding nine talented Canadians from CIS and NCAA schools to their roster. Here’s a look at each pick, and what we know/have heard about each:

#7 OL Jason Lauzon-Séguin, Laval

Lauzon-Séguin became the third Laval offensive lineman taken in the first round, following Philippe Gagnon (#2 pick to Montréal) and Charles Vaillancourt (fifth pick to BC). Though his teammates garnered most of the attention, some believe Lauzon-Séguin could be the most talented and is certainly the most versatile, as GM Marcel Desjardins explains:

Also telling that Canadian Football Blog (@CanFbBlog) has Lauzon-Séguin on their Top 5 Underrated Prospects list.
Born in St-Eugène, Lauzon-Séguin is unlikely to start in 2016. Like last year’s #1 pick, Alex Mateas, he will likely see limited reps in his rookie season, with an eye to a starting role in 2017.

#16 DB Mikael Charland, Concordia

As has become a customary through the team’s three full drafts, Desjardins went a little off the board with his second round draft selection, picking Concordia DB Mikael Charland. He was not, for example, on the CIS Scouting Bureau’s final Top 20 list released in April. Nonetheless, the Redblacks have themselves an impressive athlete, standing 6′ 4″, who could be a major ratio-buster at DB. Born in Gatineau, Charland is expected to be a contributor on special teams in fairly short order.

#25 DL Mehdi Abdesmad, Boston College

With their third selection, the Redblacks selected their most talented and highly-touted player of the 2016 draft in Mehdi Abdesmad. Ranked #3 by the CIS Scouting Bureau, the 6′ 7″ (!) Abdesmad could one day be a huge part of Ottawa’s defensive line, however he is currently the property of the Tennessee Titans. This is the first time the Redblacks have taken a shot on a NFL signee. Wish him all the best down south, but having him end up in Ottawa would be a major coup.

#34 LB Kevin Jackson, Sam Houston State

Jackson is a Canadian-born, Texas-raised LB that adds Canadian depth at a premium defensive position. Indications are he can also contribute on special teams in Ottawa sooner than later.

#43 OL Randy Beardy, Windsor

In the CFL, a team really can’t have enough Canadian offensive line depth. In Beardy, the Redblacks get just that, and a player that CFL draft guru Justin Dunk picked as one of his sleepers.

The 6′ 5″ Kett transferred from Simon Fraser University to Western in 2015. Unfortunately, Kett broke his leg while training in the spring and is not expected at training camp. He’ll likely get his first look in 2017.

#69 LB Guillaume Tremblay-Lebel, Laval

With their final pick, Ottawa selected their second Rouge et Or product of the night in Tremblay-Lebel. Here’s some video:

Tremblay-Lebel also represented the eighth Laval player drafted on the night to set a new CFL draft record.